


Sand Storm

by Debi_C



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Ancient Egypt, M/M, tomb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-03
Updated: 2013-02-03
Packaged: 2017-11-28 03:20:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/669693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Debi_C/pseuds/Debi_C
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yhe Team finds something amazing at an off world site, and Jack and Daniel run afoul of an ancient mystery.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sand Storm

Chapter 1 The Excavation

It was a lot like coming back to Abydos.

Jack had even been concerned about Daniel's state of mind while he worked here. He was afraid of the younger man having nightmares because of the similarities in the place. But, it wasn't Abydos. It was a totally new and different world, an empty soulless world.

It had been on the list that Jack had uploaded years ago when he'd been the victim of the Ancient's device. Nothing apparently special, but because it was there they had to go and check it out. There were mountains to the south of them, a wide lazy river to the east of them, lots and lots of the talcum powder fine sand to the west and north. Lots of sand, miles and miles of sand and not a tree in sight.

The team had even spent time teasing him about the lack of trees. That had been on the first day, and by now, O'Neill was actually missing them...the trees and what would have come with them... shade...'cause there wasn't any. Carter had assured them there were some somewhere, or there wouldn't be any oxygen brought about by photosynthesis to clean the air and produce...yada...but they sure as hell weren't any within sight, sound, smell or touch. He'd nodded absently at her monologue and watched Daniel of Egypt do his Indiana Jones routine.

So here they were, two days later. They were now sandy, sweaty, sticky, simmering, sweltering, scorched and bored stiff. Well, everyone but Daniel. As soon as they had arrived, the archaeology professor had leaped to the fore, marched to the nearest apparent pile of sand and shouted Eureka! And he was still excited, enamored, enthusiastic and in ever-ready bunny mode with no sign of slowing down. Jack was exhausted just watching him.

It turned out, according to Daniel anyway, that a mastaba is a rectangular tomb of ancient Egyptian origin. So much for Jack's language skills, he had always thought the word meant bench in some language that he'd learned while in Special Ops.

But Daniel had started digging like a terrier after a mouse. Sure enough, within several hours, he'd turned up lots of Jacksonian cool stuff, rocks and artifacts. These discoveries had extended the mission due to the unusual find of an Egyptian style temple on an apparently uninhabited planet. What had started as a three day trip was rapidly becoming a week long expedition. It was going to be a long hot one.

Carter had gamely tried to find something that she wanted to get excited about. But there were no interesting minerals, soils, or plants for her. Teal'c had found no Goa'uld sign or inscriptions and Jack hadn't found any honking big weapons either. He did discover that first night though, that the celestial display was downright awesome so he had two of his favorite things to do, watch Daniel and stargaze. Which was okay for a little while. But during the day, it was a pain in the mikta for several reasons.

Reason number one: The temperatures got up in the 120 to 130 Fahrenheit ranges.

Reason number two: The soft, extremely fine sand got into places that were rather delicate.

Reason number three: Jack had the responsibility of reining his errant archaeologist in, which was what he was currently attempting to do.

"Daniel, its eleven thirty. Come on, time for lunch and a siesta."

"Not now Jack, I'm...."

"About to get sun-stroked, burned and overheated. It's time for all my archaeologists to come in now and eat MREs that taste like chicken."

Daniel peered up at the source of the shadow that was falling across the latest pit he's been excavating. Then he looked around, "Uhm, where's everyone at?"

Jack bent down so that he was just inches from Daniel's face. "In the big tent, watching me drag you out of the mastaba before it turns from an ancient burial site into a modern one.

"What? Oh. Why?"

"Cause its 30 minutes past your curfew and you are going to overheat."

"Jack..."

"Daniel..."

"But..."

"No."

"Jack..."

"Now."

"Tell me again?"

"Cause I like you, a lot, and as much as I enjoy putting cream all over your body, Aloe Vera makes you sneeze." Jack stood up and extended his hand down into the hole the other man was standing in. Out...now...please...for me..."

"Jack..."

"Do you want me to tell Teal'c to come and get you? It would make him very unhappy. He's started his afternoon meditation." It was no idle threat. He'd actually had to resort to this action the day before. It had worked well. Daniel had always thought that looking up at Teal'c was a daunting enough task from his normal six feet height. Looking up at Teal'c from a five foot hole in the sand was downright intimidating...especially when he looked at you as if you were a very naughty small boy.

Daniel frowned and stuck his hand into Jack's. "It's not fair to use him to bully me, you know."

"All's fair in love, war and Daniel herding," Jack replied unmoved by the accusation. "And you didn't drink your water again." He gave a grunt as he pulled his partner out of the pit.

"I forgot. Jack, this could be the greatest find..."

"Daniel, I know. I know. But it won't do me any good when Fraiser has you locked up in the infirmary 'cause of sunburn and dehydration when you could be with me, now will it?"

"Not fair." the younger man bitched.

"Nope, deal with it." Jack turned and started the trudge back to the large open-sided command tent. He listened to be sure there was a following stomp behind him.

When they arrived back at the shelter, Carter handed them both a bottle of chilled water from the cooler that the SGC had sent to them when they'd received permission to stay planet side. They had been receiving one every night at check in through the Stargate. It was a thoughtful gesture from their General.

"Have you located more objects of interest to you, Danieljackson?" Teal'c asked, looking up from his favorite meditating spot near the corner of the open tent.

"Teal'c, its amazing. If I'm right, well, it'll be ground breaking."

The big man looked at him in mild confusion. "I thought that you had already broken the ground, though sand does not need much force to break."

Jack noticed that Daniel never interrupted Teal'c when he was asking pedantic questions. He frowned at that observation but then turned his attention back to the discussion at hand.

"This may be, and I'm just saying maybe here, that we're looking at another Goa'uld that went into Ancient Egypt, found a host and stayed for a long time. One much later than Ra."

"Really?" Sam Carter perked up at his enthusiasm. "One of the Pharaohs?"

"No, actually." Daniel tore open his MRE and added some of the bottled water to the foil bag with the heating chemical in it. He then shoved the entree into it so it would warm properly. "I think it's the tomb of Imhotep."

That really caught Jack's attention. "You mean the Mummy guy?"

"You mean the character from the movie, The Mummy?" Daniel smiled at him with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Well, yes, I suppose he was...he was the Pharaoh's architect. The greatest achievement of Imhotep is the Step Pyramid at Saqqara. He built this pyramid for Djoser. He was also a very good poet, architect, and priest-physician."

"So he was a good man?" Carter asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, one of the heroes of his age." Daniel agreed as he added the envelope of flavoring to his bottled water and shook it to mix it up thoroughly. "His best known writings were medical writings. The Greeks honored him during the Roman period. The emperors Claudius and Tiberius had inscriptions praising Imhotep placed on the walls of their Egyptian temples. He was a true spiritual model for the people of Egypt."

"Is it possible that he was a Tok'ra and not a Goa'uld?" Sam pressed.

Daniel removed the food packet from the heating envelope, tore it open and stirred it with his plastic fork. "I don't know, Sam. I suppose it is possible."

Teal'c nodded, "I have never heard of him as a System Lord or even a Goa'uld."

"I don't know Daniel, I mean how can he have a tomb here...not on Earth."

The younger man only shrugged. "I don't know, Jack. That's why I need to do more work here."

"I was afraid you were going to say that." He shook his head. "How much more?"

"Oh, I'd say about five years or so."

"Uh, that would be a no." Carter grinned, Teal'c raised his smile eyebrow and Jack shook his head. "How about um, two more days?"

"A week?"

Jack sighed. "Three days?"

Daniel blinked at him slowly as he chewed his beef stroganoff. "Six."

"Five."

"Deal."

Jack groaned. "I'm a push over..."

"Yes, Jack...you are."

"Do you want another team to help?"

Daniel seemed to consider it. "Who? And for how long?"

"Uh, SGC archaeologists and for three days."

"Jack, that's cheating."

"No, technically it's weaseling. And I don't think the General is going to let us stay here much longer, so don't get your hopes up."

"Well, I could stay and you guys could..."

"No. N. O. No. Do you remember what I said when you got back from that happy soggy little planet you got stuck on when Folgers compromised the Stargate with that virus thingy?"

Daniel looked at him and pouted.

Carter looked at him. "Felger, Sir."

He looked at her. "I don't care what his name is...I said, you don't go anywhere without SG-1 and we are a first contact team and I don't think Hammond will let us stay."

"Can we not ask, O'Neill?" Teal'c questioned.

"Yeah, we can ask...but I'm telling ya, I don't think it'll fly."

"Jack...." Daniel started then quit mid-comment. He knew his partner was right, and he didn't feel like arguing right now. He was tired and cranky, as was Jack. It would only escalate things. He sighed. "We'll talk about it later, please."

"Oh, okay." Jack nodded. "Can I have your cracker and jelly?"

"Did you get any chocolate in yours?"

"Yeah, but I think Carter got it already."

"Sam...."

"It was melting. If you would have gotten here on time...."

"It's a plot...I swear its a plot."

 

Daniel and Jack had retreated to their shared tent. It was too hot to close the flaps and block the hot desert breeze from its minor cooling effect, but there nevertheless was a small amount of privacy for them here. When they were both stripped down to boxers and bare chests and stretched out on their respective bedrolls, Daniel rolled over to his side and looked at his lover.

"Do we really have to go in a few days?"

"You know we do, Danny." Jack replied regretfully. "As much as I'd love to let you stay and excavate this site, we really can't afford the time it would take you to do a proper job." He glanced over at the younger man. "I will recommend that another team who can stay return here and finish up properly. We can probably come back and check on their progress."

"Yes, I know. It's just hard. This is like the Holy Grail for my profession." He flopped back onto his pillow and sleeping bag.

"I know, Danny. I know." Jack sighed and closed his eyes. "But we're really not prepared for this heat anyway. I don't want to put any of us at risk either."

"Yes, Sam is already getting a little burned and Teal'c is getting darker too." he admitted.

"And you need to stop being the absentminded professor and drink your damned water." Jack reminded him. "You pass out and we're leaving right then, on the spot. Got it?"

"Yes, Sir, Colonel Jack, Sir."

"Don't start. You know I'm right." Jack rolled his head in Daniel's direction. "Now, catch some sleep so we can work this evening."

"Okay, Jack. I give up."

"Good, I've got plans for you tonight." His partner flopped back onto the cushion of the sleeping bag and lazily slung his forearm across his eyes.

Daniel raised his head in surprise. "Jack? Off world?"

"Yes, plans that includes sleeping, snoring and dreaming...in that order." Jack's closed his eyes and smiled. "Nice dreams, about getting back to my place with you, cold water and an air conditioner set on 65¡ and I do mean Fahrenheit, not centigrade."

"Oh, really." Daniel reached over beside his sleeping bag and picked up the omnipresent bottle of water. He opened the cap, took a long draught, and then up ended the bottom 3 or 4 ounces of the liquid on the other man's chest.

"Arrrgh!!" Jack sat bolt upright from the shock of the fluid impacting his chest. "You, you, little shit you."

Daniel rolled back away from the provoked Colonel and laughed as he tried to avoid Jack's grasp. "You said you wanted cold water...I was just...trying...to help..." he gasped as Jack pursued his target.

O'Neill finally managed to get hold of the other man and pushed him down on the canvas floor of the tent. Tickling fingers started their revenge.

"Jack...no... stop...." Daniel wheezed.

O'Neill had him pinned by straddling the younger man's hips. He continued his attack until a deep voice was heard outside the tent.

"O'Neill? Are you and Danieljackson all right?"

"Yeah, T., we're fine..."

"NO! Help!"

"Someone just dumped half a bottle of water on me."

"Ah, I understand." The voice turned to leave.

"Help! Teal'c! Help! Teal'c?"

"It is unwise to waste water in the desert, Daniel Jackson, as you should well know. I shall resume my meditations." A pause, "When you awaken from your rest, Majorcarter and I will go to the Stargate for our evening check in. It is our turn."

Jack, still engaged with sitting on Daniel, responded. "Thanks, big guy. I appreciate it." He turned to his victim. "Give?"

Daniel, who was still giggling, finally was able to respond. "Okay, uncle!"

Jack rolled off gratefully. "I'm not your uncle." He remarked, then lay back on his sleeping bag and closed his eyes. "And...it's too hot...so get some sleep."

Two hours later, when it had cooled off a little and Teal'c had finished with his meditations, Jack and Daniel emerged from their rest refreshed. They had a quick snack of some granola bars and another bottle of water each for the afternoon.

Carter had been standing watch and O'Neill resumed this duty. As he checked his weapon he glanced at the Jaffa and his second in command. "You sure you want to make the trip, T., you went with me yesterday and Carter the day before."

"I do. It will allow Danieljackson more time with his efforts at the dig and I am well rested from my meditations." The big man answered the Colonel.

"Thanks, Teal'c, I'll pay you back next mission." Daniel offered quickly. "I really want to at least find the main door to see what inscriptions are there."

"Are you close, Daniel?" Carter asked as she pulled on her tan camouflaged boonie hat and picked up her P-90.

"I think so." he replied. I've been finding a lot of significant clues and I believe it may be on the next side over." He pulled his vest on over his long sleeved DCU shirt. "I think I'm going to suggest that we start bringing a Galabia, an Abaya and the proper head wear for these desert worlds. We'd be a lot more comfortable than in these uniforms."

"I thought ancient Egyptians wore kilts and linen dresses?" Carter asked, mischievously. "I could go for you three in those short skirts."

O'Neill cast a baleful eye at her tone. "Yeah, maybe these two," he said indicating their other two team mates, but all you'd see is my bony legs and scarred knee. It wouldn't be a pretty sight." He shook his head.

Carter laughed. "I've seen your bony legs, Colonel, they didn't scare me away." She grinned coquettishly, "but I will admit that Teal'c and Daniel are more uh, well formed."

"Okay, deal," Daniel replied. "But you have to wear the sheer linen dress too."

"Sheer?" Jack eyed him questioningly.

"Very sheer." He nodded.

"How sheer?" Carter asked.

"See through." Teal'c affirmed. "At least that is the dress that Bastet and Tefnut would often wear."

Carter seemed a little disappointed. "Damn! More than that blue dress?"

"Yes." Teal'c supplied.

"Oh well, it never fails does it."

"What?" Daniel smiled at her disappointment.

"Women always get the see through stuff." She shrugged into her backpack.

"Never mind."

"It's because..."

"Yes, Daniel, I know why it's because. Just...never mind." She looked at Teal'c. "Are we ready?"

Teal'c bowed his head to her and the two left the shade of the open communal tent and headed in the direction of the Stargate.

Once their teammates were out of earshot, Jack looked at Daniel and raised a Teal'c-ian eyebrow. "Damn, I kinda liked the idea myself."

Daniel smiled back at him with a studious air, panning up and down his partner's lean form. "So did I."

 

Chapter 2 The Discovery

It was now seventeen hundred hours and Daniel was again chest deep in another pit. Jack was standing guard at its edge. The Colonel was glancing around nervously and was loath to leave the immediate area. They had been at the dig site for some time but he knew that Daniel wouldn't leave the dig until it was too dark to work. The archaeologist had discovered several items that were indicative of an entrance to the mastaba. He was sure it was just a matter of finding the right spot and time was the one thing he had little of.

"Is there a big X anywhere down there?" Jack had tilted his hat back and was peering down at the other man as he carefully brushed sand away from some hieroglyphics etched into the wall.

"Jack, didn't you watch the Indiana Jones movies with me?"

"Yeaaah?"

"Then you should know, X never ever marks the spot."

"Oh." He stood up straight and pushed his sunglasses up on his nose. "I thought in the library in Venice..."

"Rats, Jack."

"Better than snakes, Daniel."

"True."

Thirty minutes later, after checking the perimeter again, Jack started feeling uneasy. It was as if his weather sense was telling him about a change in the air pressure. Possibly a storm could be moving in. He had learned years earlier to listen to his instincts and all his alarm bells were going off. He went back over to the rapidly growing pit and peered down at Daniel. The younger man was down on his hands and knees with a brush, energetically cleaning encrusted sand off of the corner of what appeared to be a mud brick wall.

"Hey, how's it going down there?"

"Slow," Daniel admitted, "but I think I may be close to the entrance. There are several of these bricks in alignment. It could indicate a lintel." When he got no reply to his comment, Daniel looked up at his partner. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure." Jack frowned, squinting through his sunglasses. "The air feels wrong, heavy."

Daniel put his hand over his eyes and panned around northwards. "Heavy?"

"Yeah, like a storm. Don't you feel it?" Daniel nodded in response to him. "But there are no clouds." He finished one bottle of water and pulled another out of the patch pocket on his pant leg, twisted the top off and handed the plastic container to Daniel.

The younger man took the bottle and took a drink out of it, then passed put it in his pants pocket. He had a thoughtful expression on his face as he studied the older man. Then he looked past his partner at the desert horizon "Jack, I think..."

"Yeah, Danny, I think you're right." O'Neill nodded, kneeling down close to the other man. "Why don't you hurry up and get your stuff packed."

"Uh, Jack..." Daniel's voice inflection caught his attention. "Jack, I think we're too late. Come on; get down here with me."

O'Neill looked back over his shoulder and where there had been an electric blue sky a short time ago, all he could see was a wall of sand moving towards them like freight train.

Daniel bent over, picked up his small digging spade and started digging frantically on a wall that was facing towards the mastaba. Since they had no place else to go, Jack slipped down into the sandy pit behind him and started helping move the dirt that his partner was dislodging. There was a growing noise coming from the north.

"What are you doing?" Jack yelled to be heard.

"There's a door here somewhere, if I can find it, we might have a chance." the younger man yelled out over his shoulder.

The wall of sand hit the mastaba with a roar equal to an African lion. The wind swirled down and around its two victims pelting them with fine grit as if to blast the skin from their bodies.

Daniel only dug deeper and harder trying desperately to find the opening that he knew had to be there. The swirling sand quickly obscured their sight. Jack could hardly even breathe in his more exposed position away from the wall; even the string on his hat was trying to choke him.

Jack bent to the task of helping move the sand, throwing it behind him like a dog. "Daniel..." He forgot what he was about to ask when suddenly Daniel disappeared in front of him. Jack made a wild grab for the other man when the ground seemingly opened up and swallowed both of them. It was the last thing, he remembered.

 

Jack awoke into pitch darkness. There was not as much as a pinprick of light to greet him. As he passed his hand in front of his face, he had an irrational fear that he was blind. The last time he had been in such absolute black was when he had been temporarily blinded on Apophis's ship.

He rolled over into a sitting position; he could feel the sand running off from around his legs. He had evidently been partially covered with the stuff. Jack was trying to place where he was and how he'd gotten there. Last he remembered he had been with Daniel at a dig site. He had been hot, dry and sandy...very sandy. But now, he was in complete blackness; or was he blind? He felt his own face with his fingers. It was odd, like getting double sensations from both the tips of his fingers and the skin of his face. Having an idea, he felt for his wristwatch and flipped the protective cover from its face. The luminous glow from the dial seemed startling in it green brightness. It showed 0115, past midnight. He remembered it being in the late afternoon when he was with Daniel.

Where was Daniel? It was a sign of this confusion that he hadn't thought where his companion was. Jack felt around his immediate area checking his equipment. His P-90 was gone, though his pistol was still in its holster. Then, finally, he located his flashlight lying a foot or so away from him.

Flipping the small light on, he looked around his immediate area. The first thing he saw was the younger man lying a few feet away in an uncomfortable looking position. There was sand covering his lower half also from an opening in the wall behind them. Crawling over to him, he felt for a pulse. To his relief it beat strong and regular against his fingertips. Jack breathed a sigh of relief, and then he started checking his partner for any obvious sign of injury while brushing the sand off of him. There was a knot of swelling on the back of his head and some bruising on the pale face.

He found the still half-full bottle of water in the other man's pant leg pocket. He removed Daniel's bandana and tipped a little of the liquid onto the cloth and began to bathe the younger man's face.

This elicited a low moan from him.

"Daniel? Danny, are you with me?"

The younger man groaned softly and put his hand up to his face. "Jack?"

"Yeah, big guy. Anything special hurt?"

"My head." Daniel rubbed his face with one hand and peered up at Jack over the flashlight's beam.

"What happened?"

"We were at the mastaba and I remember a sandstorm coming up." Jack panned around the immediate area with the flashlight.

"Oh, yes. The sandstorm." Daniel squinted and felt around unsuccessfully for his glasses. "Did we find a way in?"

"Evidently we did." Jack said absently. "We're here, but where's here?"

"By the darkness and the coolness of our surroundings, I'd have to guess we're inside the structure...in an entrance chamber."

"Entrance to what?" Jack clicked off the light, leaving them both in the complete darkness again.

"Entrance to a temple...maybe...or a throne room...or a tomb."

"Can I vote for a temple...with some magic to get us out of here?"

"Oookay, sure Jack, if you want to." There was silence for a moment. "Jack, why is it so dark in here...?"

"It's night, Danny. It's 0130 in the morning."

"The fact that we're buried under about fifteen feet of sand and bricks might have something to do with it too." The younger man commented

"Oh, wait a minute." Jack sat up and felt around his vest to locate his radio. "Sierra Golf 1 to Sierra Golf 2." There was no answer. "Sierra Golf 1 to Sierra Golf 2, come in Carter." He released the button. "Crap!"

"It could be the storm," Daniel's voice said, trying to be helpful. "Or even that we're so far underground."

"Or I could have landed on the radio, too." Jack rubbed the sore spot on his ribs where the radio was attached to his vest.

Jack could hear Daniel moving around, trying to orient himself. "Danny? What's wrong?"

"Jack," Daniel's voice was closer in the darkness as he sat up. "Talk to me so I can find you."

"Right here, I'm right here." The sound of sand rasping was now next to him. He put his hand out and touched the other man's chest. "I'm right here." Jack felt his hand being grasped by Daniel.

"Jack, I..." the younger man slid up next to him.

Jack put his arms around him and pulled him close. "I'm right here, Danny."

Daniel wrapped his arms around his lover and buried his face into Jack's neck, inhaling deeply. Jack rubbed his chin on the other man's cheek. "Mmmm. I got cha."

"But who's got you?" Came the warm breath on his cheek.

"You do, and that's all I need for now." Jack located the other man's mouth with his own for a quick soft kiss. "Tomorrow we'll find our way out...don't worry. "

"Jack, are you hurt?" Daniel's questing fingers traced his lover's face, touching each feature reverently, feeling for anything unusual.

"No, just a few bruises." He caught the gentle hand in his own and pressed it to his lips. "Nothing I haven't had lots of times before." Jack shifted around carefully around and located his pack in the darkness. "Let's take it easy for a while, get some rest." Jack used the pack as a pillow and pulled Daniel up against his shoulder as they lay down.

"But you need to also..." the younger man resisted for a moment before leaning his cheek against Jack's chest. He was tired and his head still hurt.'

"I'll stay awake for a while," the older man assured him. "After all, what could be down here?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised. Mummies, jars, dust, you know...sarcophagi."

"Thanks for that visual, Danny. Now, I know I'll stay awake."

"I wonder how Sam and Teal'c are?" The sleepy voice murmured.

"I'm sure they're fine. They were going to the gate anyway." Jack said with forced cheerfulness. "They probably just went to the SGC to wait out the storm." He could feel Daniel nodding positively on his chest though he could also feel the other man's fingers clench on his tee shirt. Jack knew that they would both worry about their teammates until they knew for sure that they were all right, just like Carter and Teal'c would worry about them. But for now, his immediate concern was for them to get out of their tomb prison.

 

A wave of sand blew into the Gateroom with Carter and Teal'c as they entered the SGC and walked down the ramp. They were brushing sand off of their equipment, their uniforms, out of their air and off their faces as the wormhole closed. Carter's face was red from windburn and she had lost her hat entirely. Teal'c was an interesting dun color.

Hammond came down the metal stairs from the Command Room to greet them. "Welcome back Major, Teal'c. Where are Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson? You weren't due back until tomorrow."

Samantha self-consciously pulled her fingers through her hair, trying to make herself less of a shambles. She failed miserably. "The Colonel sent us back for our regular report, Sir. They had stayed back at the dig site. We were caught in a sandstorm when we had reached the Stargate." She looked at him concernedly. "It came up out of nowhere. I thought it was best to come on in and go back after it passes."

Teal'c nodded in agreement. "There is no shelter at the Stargate, Generalhammond."

The General glanced worriedly at the Stargate. "Do you think Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Jackson are all right?"

"I don't know, Sir." She replied honestly. "I've never been in a blow like that without a hard shelter. If it hits the camp like it did us, the tents will be blown away completely. We hope that they've taken shelter behind the tomb." Carter unconsciously glanced over her shoulder at where they had come from. "I tried reaching them by radio, but couldn't get through."

"Well, it's probably interference from the storm." Hammond sighed. "But if anyone is capable of finding shelter in a sandstorm, it's those two."

"Yes, Sir. Between the Colonel's survival training and Daniel's desert experience...well, I just hope they're all right."

"Why don't you two go get cleaned up and then give me a quick sit-rep before you go back?"

"Thank you, Sir." She smiled gratefully at the General. Teal'c bowed his head and the two teammates headed for the showers leaving grains of sand in their wake.

 

Daniel awoke in complete darkness, black without a bit of light anywhere to be seen. He was lying against Jack. He could recognize his lover's scent and the sound of his soft snoring. His head hurt, but there seemed no major injuries other than just general soreness. Pushing off from the ground, he sat up, which disturbed his companion.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah, Jack, I'm okay." He sat up and looked around trying to pierce the stygian blackness. "What time is it?"

O'Neill sat up with a groan. He could feel Daniel's hands on his face searching him for information on his condition. "I'm okay; I'm just sore." He groused, as he flipped the shield off his watch's face. "It's seven forty-five." Jack answered him. "If there's any light to be seen, it should be visible now."

"Well, there isn't." Daniel said in frustration. "I guess we made it into the mastaba. The storm probably blew the sand over my entrance pit. We'll have to dig ourselves out."

Jack reached his hand out and made contact with Daniel. His questing fingers followed the uniform shirt buttons all the way up to his partner's face. "Well, there's nothing for it, so I guess we'll dig. Hopefully, the SGC will send someone to look for us and they can meet us halfway."

Daniel nodded knowing that the other man would feel his head's motion.

"First though, we need to find out what we've got to work with." Jack found his flashlight and clicked it back on. The single beam played around the walls and floor. "How much water do you have, Danny?"

The younger man searched his uniform's pants patch pockets. "Um, one half full, one full, and I have a granola bar and one and a half Fifth Avenue."

"One and a half?"

"They're kind of melted together though."

Jack smiled and shook his head. He then pulled his bottles out. "One water bottle a third full, one, well, it was full but it's cracked so about a half of one and two granola bars. Oh, and a package of jerky." He frowned. "We'll die of dehydration before we starve to death."

"Actually, we'll die of lack of oxygen if we don't get the pit reopened." Daniel said quietly. "I think we're completely sealed in here."

"You got your light?" Jack looked at him with a frown.

"No, I was using it and had it lying next to me outside." Daniel frowned. "It's probably still there."

"With my P-90. I seem to have lost that too. " The older man frowned and clicked off the flashlight. "Well, then we dig in the dark."

Daniel reached for him instinctively when the light went out. "Why?"

"Batteries, we use these up and we're in the dark permanently until we get out." Jack's voice replied. "Like the water and the air, finite supply."

"Then the sooner we begin...."

"Yep, the sooner we get out...and I really do want to get out of here."

 

Jack awoke alone. They had dug nonstop for several hours before he'd called a break. The air had a stale smell about it but it was still in the good range. Luckily the tomb was spacious and he figured they had a good several days before it became a problem. The loose sand the opening into the tomb had moved easily to their efforts, but there was a whole lot of sand that had to be moved. The more they had dug, the more had come in. The storm had obviously dumped a whole lot of dirt on the building's exterior. Daniel's pit had been a good five feet deep at least, and it obviously had been filled by the storm. How much deeper the sand had piled around the sides of the mastaba was anyone's guess.

But now, he was alone in the dark. As he felt around for his flashlight, he discovered that it was gone too. The water bottles were still beside him and the two BDU jackets and vests were still there, but there was a distinct lack of Danny, and that bothered him. "Daniel? Where are you?" He sat up and listened for a moment. Maybe the other man had just go to relieve himself and gotten turned around...or was exploring the tomb. It would be hard for him to resist. But Jack really wanted to assure their escape from the darkness of their prison before they ran out of water, air and battery power. "Daniel?"

But his voice only echoed hollowly throughout the big antechamber. No answering voice called back to him.

 

It had started innocently enough; Daniel had awoken from a very vivid dream then discovered that he really needed to pee. They'd been trapped now for over twelve hours and he had resisted the urge long enough. It pained him to defile the temple, but it was paining him even more to not answer the call. So he'd disengaged himself from his sleeping lover's arms and found their precious flashlight so he wouldn't fall afoul of any booby traps or inadvertently damage something of value. They were affecting the condition of the tomb already by just being there with their light and the moisture of their bodies. Both could damage the millennium old artifacts that they were exposing it to. But as Jack would say, it certainly wasn't their fault. They hadn't been trapped here voluntarily.

So he'd gone into the next room and then he had seen the corridor that went off the main area. As he curiously played the flashlight across the walls he saw the hieroglyphics. After taking care of his personal needs, Daniel couldn't resist going over to look at the writing. Then, he had seen it, the magic word, the Egyptologists Holy Grail, Imhotep.

As he followed the writing on the wall, he also found references to Djoser, Saqqara, and the temple at Edfu. Here, in front of him, was ancient text proving all the theories about the man and feeding him a lot more information that Daniel had only heard as supposition. He wished that he'd brought the video-cam. It was amazing! Then, as he followed the inscriptions around another corner, he saw it.

 

It was irritating! Damn it, where the hell was Daniel, anyway? He knew better than to run off like this. He needed a bell on the man, or at the very least a leash. Pulling the Velcro cover off his watch face, Jack saw that it had been at least forty-five minuets since he'd awakened to find himself alone. Then as he looked up Jack saw the glimmer of the light as it came out of the darkness of a corridor. The Colonel reached down and unsnapped the loop off of his holstered pistol. "Daniel? Is that you?"

The light began to bounce faster as it moved through the hallway. "Jack?"

O'Neill let out his held breath in relief. "Where the hell have you been for the last hour?" He bitched at the younger man as he entered the chamber.

"Jack, you'll never believe what I've found! It's amazing! You've got to see it." the scientist enthused.

"Well, all I can say is it better be good! Is it a way out?"

Realizing that Jack was unhappy with him, Daniel hurried over to where the other man was sitting on the floor. "Uh, no, but...I did find something else. Something exciting!" He reached his lover and extended his hand down to where Jack was sitting on the floor. "Come on, this is amazing!"

"Did you find a Teltac?" Jack asked him, "Transport rings?

"Uh well, no, not exactly."

Jack grasped the proffered hand and stood up with a groan. "Then what's so exciting?"

"I found a series of corridors that travel in a kind of circuitous path. On the walls is the story of Imhotep, which is what caught my attention. It was in the hieroglyphics of the Old Kingdom, well before the...."

"Daniel, yada! What did you find?" Jack interrupted.

"I found a sarcophagus, and I think, Imhotep." Daniel finished breathlessly.

Jack looked at him and nodded. "You know it's him?"

"Oh, yeah, no doubt." the younger man smiled broadly. "The Cartouche identifies him as surely as I'm standing here."

"So you found his mummy." Jack nodded. "Okay, I'm impressed."

"No, Jack. You don't understand. It's a Goa'uld sarcophagus. I think he still may be alive in there!"

 

Chapter 3 The Search

Several hours later, after the MALP had cleared the Stargate and sent back pictures of a desert planet not in the throes of a sandstorm, the remaining half of SG-1, along with SG-2, arrived back on the planet.

It looked very similar to when they had left, yet subtly different.

There was no sign at all that anyone had been on the planet for thousands of years. The dunes were unmarked by footprints or any other marks of humans at all. With Teal'c at the forefront and by following their compasses, the six SGC personnel retraced the path that Carter and Teal'c had traveled to come to the Stargate. Without their compasses and the Jaffas uncanny directional skills they wouldn't have been able to find or recognize their old campsite. The tents, supplies and campsite were literally gone with the wind and sand.

The only recognizable sign they had to go by was the unmistakable outcropping of the mammoth mastaba that Daniel had been excavating. Even it looked different. After making several tries with the radio with no results the combined teams gathered together at the west wall.

Lou Ferretti pushed back his cap and stared up at its alien bulk. "Major Carter, are you sure this is it?"

"Yes, Major, it's the only one around for several hundred miles. It has to be it." she assured him with a worried look on her face. She turned to Teal'c for support. At his nod, she continued. "Our campsite was over there in that direction about 250 yards or so. We had the two individual tents up and our big open work area was covered by a canvas tarp."

"Well, it's gone now." Lou commented softly. "I just hope the Colonel and Daniel are all right...wherever they are."

"I believe that they must have taken shelter in the temple structure itself." Teal'c commented. "It is the only formation here that is capable of withstanding a storm of such magnitude."

"I agree, Major." Captain Cleveland had come up beside them to listen. "If they aren't in the tomb, they are dead from exposure to the sandstorm." The younger officer said.

Lou and Carter looked at him doubtfully. "Oh, really, Captain. What makes you say that?"

It suddenly occurred to the younger man what he had just said. "Well, I mean...the storm itself was bad enough to wipe out the whole campsite.

Teal'c had been listening and looked at the young man in disapproval. "You do not understand, Captain. O'Neill and Danieljackson are not like other men. If anyone could survive the storm, it would be the two of them. They both possess remarkable survival abilities. We must locate them and render assistance."

Ferretti nodded, pointing with his jaw. "They're probably in the building here. We just have to find the entrance and dig them out."

Sam nodded, "Daniel had started excavating this side but he hadn't found anything yet."

"Well, it's as good a place as any to start." Ferretti dropped his pack and motioned for the rest of his team to do the same. "Major Carter, Smith, you set up camp. The rest of us can start digging."

 

Jack and Daniel had continued their efforts in clearing the sand away from the covered doorway. But it seemed the more sand they moved from the opening in the mud brick wall, the more loose grains of the fine soil poured in on top of them. After another few hours of work, Jack again called a break. He insisted they eat some of their meager food and both took a good swig of water to wash it down. After sitting a few minutes and catching his breath, Daniel broke the silence. "Jack, do you want to go and look at the sarcophagus?"

Jack was taken aback. "What? Why?"

"Because, Jack...it's Imhotep."

"Daniel, right now I wouldn't care if it was Elvis Presley. I just want to get out of here. We can come back later and look at the sarcophagus."

"But, Jack...if we open it...."

"No, we are not opening it. If it's a Gould sarcophagus...and I'm sure it is cause you say it is...there is no way in hell we're opening it...especially now."

"But Jack..."

"Daniel, don't even go there." He shook his head; still not believing the younger man had even suggested it. "Come on, let's get digging again." He watched as Daniel stood up and started in resignedly digging at the sand with his bare hands.

The two men continued their labors for several more hours, only have more sand to tumble in on top of them. They hadn't spoken since the exchange about the tomb. Finally, Jack just quit digging and sat down on the floor right where he was.

In a moment, he heard Daniel's voice and felt the younger man's gentle hands on him. "Jack? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired." He ran his sandy, filthy hand over his face. Even his palms felt tender from the sand's abrasion. Jack then felt Daniel's presence sit down next to him.

"You need to rest, Jack." Daniel said softly. "You haven't been sleeping. I know you're still keeping watch."

Jack had to nod. "Habit, Danny." He admitted. "You're my responsibility you know."

"Is that what I am to you? A responsibility?" There was a hurt tone in the voice.

"You're much more than that." Jack leaned over and kissed the younger man, tasting salt and sand on his mouth. For some reason, the emotion that his lover's words evoked moved him almost to tears. "I love you, Daniel. I need you to be okay. I want us to live, not die here in this hole in the ground."

Daniel was surprised by the confession. They had been together now for several months, since a short time after his return. Jack was not a man for flowery comments or romantic language. Daniel knew the other man loved him, but blatant admissions always caught him off guard emotionally. "Jack, believe me, I do too." He shifted over to the side of the older man. "Come on let me hold you for a while. I'll keep watch this time."

 

Daniel knew that he had to be dreaming again. He had to be. As he walked through the halls of the great temple at Saqqara, he could see everything as if the court were alive today. There was writing on the wall in bright colors and beautiful pictures. It was a combination of hieroglyphics and illustrations that depicted the wonderful life of ancient Egyptian nobility. There were also some Goa'uld symbols interspersed throughout. The script talked about the great king of Saqqara, and how the great Pharaoh commanded his servants to build him two tombs. One was for Egypt, a temple of both religious significance and a way to preserve the remains of the Lord and Master. It would demonstrate the glory of both the artist who built it and the king who commissioned it.

Then, he read where once the great step pyramid was built, it was not pleasing to the gods. So another temple was ordered, one that was to be built through the Stargate. It would be both a temple and a palace. In it the Great House would live forever without fear of Death because it would accommodate the magic of the gods. There they could dwell forever in glory with the other deities of Egypt. As Daniel dreamt he felt a calling, a great yearning, overcome him. It was as if he were being beckoned forward into the great audience chamber.

There, Daniel saw the priests and the court nobles; the Pharaoh's slaves and women, and finally at the end of the long gallery he could see the high throne of the king. Seated upon a golden lion-headed chair was the Pharaoh himself. Djoser was wearing a linen robe that was so fine and beautiful you could see through the delicate cloth. In his hands he held the crook and flail of his office and on his head was the red and white double crown of all Egypt.

As Daniel approached the throne, the king looked directly at him then beckoned to him with his hand. As was required by court etiquette, Daniel bowed his head and went forward to kneel at the foot of the Pharaoh's throne. As he looked up at the god-king of ancient Egypt, their eyes met and he was held by the power of the man's personality. The king rose up from his throne and stepped down to the level where Daniel knelt.

"Who are you, fair one, who has so lately come to my court?"

"I'm an archaeologist." Daniel replied honestly looking up to meet the intense brown eyes that searched his. "I study ancient civilizations and the people that built them."

"Then you are welcome here, Scholar. We value people of wisdom and courage." The king smiled at him. "Stay with us, and learn the ways of the Ancient Wisdom of the gods." He extended his hand to Daniel who took it. He pulled the young man up to stand in front of him. Then, Djoser raised his other hand, palm out. Daniel could see that he wore a ribbon device on it. Then, he activated the device directing it at Daniel's forehead. He tried to fight the effect of the ruby beam as it lanced into his brain, but he couldn't resist its power. He was frozen in place, helpless in front of the Goa'uld. Then, Djoser bent down and kissed him. Daniel stood transfixed until he heard someone call his name from the surrounding crowd.

He jerked into wakeful consciousness. He discovered he was lying in a dark chamber beside a metal sarcophagus, the flashlight lying next to his hand still on. Then, Daniel heard Jack calling his name.

 

Jack woke up alone again. It was annoying and disconcerting at the same time. Daniel had taken the flashlight with him and this left him totally and completely in the dark. The other man knew that they had limited battery power and that his use of the light was risking their being left in total darkness. Jack finally had given in to shouting. "Daniel! Where are you? Can you hear me?" As he clambered to his feet, Jack could smell the staleness of the air. They were beginning to run out of time.

The sound of his lover's running steps were a relief. Though it took them a lot longer to reach him than he'd wanted.

"Jack? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"NO! I'm not okay! Damn it to hell, Daniel! Where were you?"

"Jack? You're shaking?"

"Of course, I'm shaking! I woke up here alone and in the dark, again!" He replied angrily. "Where the hell are you going, anyway?"

"Jack, I keep trying to tell you. I'm studying the tomb of Imhotep."

"And I keep trying to tell you, if you keep doing that you may be studying OUR tomb...from the inside out."

"By why are you shaking?"

"Because I was worried about you!" Jack replied angrily, "I thought something had happened to you." Jack grasped the other man's shoulders in hard hands. "Listen to me, Daniel. There's something wrong...why do you keep running off and disappearing like that?"

"Jack, I was studying the inscriptions. It's important." Daniel answered him loudly in frustration, trying to pull away. "Besides you told me I could go."

Jack released Daniel. He'd been holding him too hard and had probably bruised the other man. And, Daniel believed that he had been given permission to study the tomb. "No, Daniel, I said not to... that we needed to get out of here. Then, maybe we can come back."

"Jack, I'm sure you said I could. I don't know why you're lying now." Daniel sounded angry now.

Jack's temper almost won, but he took a deep breath and bit back harsh words. Instead, he said. "Daniel, look, I'm not sure what is going on, but I would never lie to you, not here, not about this. I specifically said no, that we didn't have time." He reached out in the darkness and blindly found his lover's hand. "Look, this is serious. You know better than me about being trapped in a sealed tomb with no fresh air or water. I figure we've got less than two or three days to get out. Once, we're out...."

"Then we'll go back to the SGC and he'll be locked here in this prison forever. Jack, that can't be allowed to happen." The younger man answered with equal fervor. "He's too important...to..."

Something occurred to O'Neill when he heard those words from Daniel Jackson and it scared him down to his desert boots. "Daniel," he interrupted, "Danny, please listen to yourself." He shifted his hands up to the other man's face. "Look," frustrated he took the flashlight from the other man's hand. He clicked it on and focused the beam on his lover's chest so he wouldn't hurt their eyes. Daniel had a strange absentminded expression on his face. Jack tucked the light under his arm so he wouldn't have to release his hold on his lover. "Danny, listen to me. If you keep going back there, we'll die. We don't have time for this now. Besides, you can't open the tomb now. If he is alive, he's a Gould and he'll either kill us or take one of us as host." He stoked his partner's stubbled cheek with his free hand trying to reach the other man. "I did that one time when you were gone. I'm not gonna do that ever again. Okay? Danny?"

The intense blue eyes blinked and then finally cleared, their normal expression returning. "Jack?"

"You okay, Danny?"

"Jack what are you talking about?" Daniel looked at him in uncertainty.

"I'm just saying we should be digging ourselves out of here, right?" Jack studied the other man for a moment.

Daniel ducked his head and looked at Jack with suspicion, as if his partner was trying to trick him. "Uh, right."

O'Neill smiled in relief at the younger man. "Okay, then."

 

Several hours of hard work later; Daniel stopped and leaned back to stretch his cramped muscles. "I don't know what's wrong with me...I'm so tired." He complained.

Jack clicked the flashlight on and flashed it in Daniel's direction. The younger man did look bad, his movements were clumsy and there were bags under the red-rimmed eyes. He had originally thought it had something to do with the younger man's lack of sleep, but now he wasn't so sure any more. There was something more and Jack couldn't put his finger on it. He finally sat back on his butt and watched his partner try to start digging again. He realized that they both needed to rest, but he had to be sure that the younger man stayed with him and did actually get some sleep this time.

"Okay, look." Jack reached over and clicked the light off again, effectively stopping the other man's work. "I'm calling a break here, but I'm gonna do something to keep you here with me, okay. So, just come over her and sit next to me, will you."

"Oh. Sure." Daniel replied. He wasn't sure why Jack thought he needed to do that, but if it let the older man sleep better, he didn't mind going along with him.

As they resumed their places along the wall, Daniel felt Jack's hands touch his face and then run down the full length of his body. "Uh, Jack, I'm sorry but I think I'm too tired...."

O'Neill had to chuckle. "No, not that." He continued with his hands on the younger man's body until he reached the tied bootlaces. He deftly untied one of the strings and then tied Daniel's feet together. Then, he untied one of his own boots and knotted it to one of his lovers.

Jack then sat back up, leaned against the wall and pulled Daniel into his arms. He also managed to get hold of the flashlight and secrete it behind himself where the younger man couldn't reach it. He was satisfied that at least Daniel couldn't go anywhere by himself this time...or at least not without him knowing about it. He regained his position by the younger man and Daniel leaned against him.

"What did you do?" Daniel asked as they settled back against the wall again.

"Just took some precautions." Jack replied affably. "If you go anywhere, you'll wake me up."

"What if I have to go pee?"

"Then, my friend, we go together."

"To pee?"

"Ain't love grand?" He kissed the younger man on the top of his head. "Now, go to sleep, you need the rest."

 

SG 1 and 2 were still hard at work as the sun went down. Finally Ferretti, as senior officer, called a halt for the night. As the six personnel slogged through the heavy shifting sand the few hundred feet to their camp they all were exhausted.

The going had been very slow. The sand was talcum powder soft, and as they moved one shovelful two more seemed to slide back into place in the small hole. They had tried to go along the wall of the temple to a depth of six feet, but they had no way of knowing how much sand had been piled on top of the level that Daniel and Jack had been working in. Theoretically, the sand could have been piled up eight or ten feet and they would never even find the original pit.

As they arrived back at their camp, Steager pulled out his sterno stove and lit a small fire. Though they didn't need the flame to cook their MREs, it seemed necessary to have a campfire of some sort. This at least gave them light, heat and central place to gather and discuss the next day's plans.

Carter and Teal'c looked exhausted. The storm, their narrow escape, the loss of their teammates and now the difficult search was proving an emotional roller coaster ride. They were filthy; Teal'c had been in the bottom of their pit earlier that day when the sides had collapsed in on him. It had taken a few moments to dig the big man out. He was only trapped for a few seconds but it once again underscored the difficulty of their task. They were sure Jack and Daniel were down there somewhere, but how deep was unknown and for how long might well be forever.

Ferretti, Carter and the rest of the team were huddled over a diagram that they drawn in the sand by the fire and planned the next day's efforts. "Well, we've tried this side..." Lou slid his finger along the diagram. "What do you think for tomorrow? Here or here?"

Sam shook her head. "I'm not sure," she confessed. "I guess we could try the opposite side and hope to find some indicators that they are actually in the tomb."

"Majorcarter," Teal'c had been listening to their conversation. "I believe that Danieljackson was almost at the corner. His tendency is to continue on in a clockwise motion." The warrior indicated the joining wall to the left of their final attempts of the day.

"So, we should try here?" She looked at her teammate. The big warrior indicated the next side that joined the one they had been working at. Teal'c hardly ever gave his opinion unless he believed he was right

He nodded. "Indeed, but not now. Tomorrow. We are all too tired to continue such exertions today."

Ferretti looked longingly at the mastaba's dark hulk that loomed above the campsite in the gloom of evening. "As much as I hate to, I have to agree with Teal'c, Sam." He looked at his three men. "If we keep pushing at this rate, all we'll find is exhaustion and heat stroke. Let's get some sleep, then at first light, start digging again."

She nodded unhappily. She'd rather dig through the night, but she had to realize their limitations. She'd also wanted a larger search group, but no one else could be spared from missions. She knew Hammond had the Medical Section on alert, and they would come through at a moment's notice. Manpower was limited at this time. But they couldn't wait for more personnel.

She nodded and she and Teal'c went back to the tent they shared. The Warrior watched her as they lay down in their separate sleeping bags.

"We will find them, Samantha."

"Yeah, I know, I just hope it's in time."

"As do I."

 

Chapter 4: The Mystery

Jack awoke alone again. When he felt the empty spot next to him where Daniel should have been, he sat up with a curse and felt for his own boots. They were still tied to Daniel's bootlaces, but the other man's footwear was empty. They were lying abandoned beside him. Their owner was long gone. He was worried. Daniel had given him the slip again, in a black tomb, with bad air and no food or water. It wasn't quite Hell but it would do for now. He was getting a headache.

Cursing, Jack unknotted his own laces and felt around for the flashlight. It, at least, was still there. He'd tucked it up under his carry vest and shirt that he had been using for a pillow so the younger man hadn't been able to find it.

But now where was Daniel?

Jack clambered stiffly to his feet and clicked on the light. He wasn't sure which was worse, Daniel being missing with the light so he couldn't see anything while searching, or the thought of Daniel missing in the dark. He knew his lover hated the darkness. Normally, he wouldn't have left Jack's side in the stygian blackness of the tomb but now, for some unknown but driving reason, Daniel had left him. He took a deep breath that did him little good and started to follow the other man.

It was easy enough for Jack to find and follow the now bootless footprints that the other man had left in the sandy floor. As they led down the twisting corridors to back of the tomb, Jack's heart was in his mouth expecting the worst. He didn't know what was calling the other man away from him, but he was damned well going to find out.

There, as he rounded the corner, O'Neill saw the bulky oblong shape of a Goa'uld sarcophagus. Shining his light on the huge metallic object, he walked closer. Then he saw a human shape crouched against the wall behind the machine. Cursing under his breath, he increased his speed until he knelt by the unresponsive form of his partner.

Daniel was sitting against the wall with his knees pulled up against his chest in a quasi-fetal position. His eyes were open, staring blankly ahead at something that Jack couldn't begin to guess. He laid his hand on the cheek of the oblivious younger man. He cursed as he saw the tell-tale red burn mark of a ribbon device on the other man's forehead. His partner was cold and clammy to the touch but when he felt his throat for a pulse it was there, slow and steady. Daniel was alive but seemingly in some sort of trance.

The Colonel then played his light around the burial chamber and up the gold colored side of the coffin-like apparatus. He stood and looked more at it more closely. He could tell that the thick coating of dust of the ages that encrusted it had been disturbed recently. He could also tell that whatever had been in it had climbed out at least once and a short time ago. The hair on Jack's neck rose as he turned to scan the chamber for any sight of life. He instinctively pulled his automatic pistol from its holster, thankful he still had it. Hitting the hawk shaped icon for Osiris, he stood back and watched the huge ornately carved lid rumble slowly open. Even before he looked into the empty machine, he knew that whomever had been in it was now no longer there.

But somehow, he was still surprised when he heard a voice reverberating from the darkness of the shadows. "He is very beautiful. Is he yours?"

Jack shone the light back behind the sarcophagus. There in the shadows cast by his flashlight stood a human looking form, and he was speaking to him.

The man was tall, athletically built and of strong handsome features. Of apparent Middle-Eastern ancestry the man was dressed in a simple knee length pleated kilt and wearing heavy, ornate jewelry around his neck and upper arms. The man caught Jack's eyes, staring at him, matching his look. He appeared unimpressed.

"In a manner of speaking." Jack answered cautiously. "He's my team member; he's under my command."

"I would have him." The man said simply, nodding to where Daniel crouched unresponsively on the floor.

"Sorry, he's not available." Jack answered shortly. "I just got him back recently. I'm not quite ready to lose him again." He smiled wolfishly at the Pharaoh.

The god-king looked at Jack commandingly. "Oh, but I am afraid that will. I would have him, and I will not be denied."

"Nope, not gonna happen." O'Neill stepped in front of Daniel to put himself between the stranger and his comatose partner. " You see it takes a special knack to handle him. I can't trust anyone else to do it right, so I'll just keep him myself."

"Oh?" The man cocked his head at Jack. "I assure you, I will, as you say, handle him. I can easily control his body and dominate him."

Jack shook his head. "I don't think so, the control thing I mean. He's pretty stubborn..." He glanced down at Daniel. "and I won't permit any domination stuff."

"Ah, well, then." The Goa'uld approached Jack slowly with an expectant look. "Then, I must possess your body instead. You would still be his master, and have him to serve you."

"Nope, I've already been there and done that." Jack hefted the weapon in his hand. "Snaked, I mean. Didn't like it at all. When I say, I'm in charge, I mean me...not some slimy snake in my head."

The Goa'uld smiled and lifted an eyebrow, as if examining Jack while he stood protectively over Daniel. ""Are you so sure? I could cure your ailments. I could make you young again. Oh, he is yours now certainly, but you grow old. There is silver in your hair, and lines of age on your face. There is pain in your back and legs; and there are scars that make you ugly to one such as he." He gestured up and down O'Neill's form. "Your path now leads you downhill into the valley of your death. Surely, you know that you cannot hold one such as this with a crippled, aging body." He pointed at Daniel. "Soon, in only a few years, he will need more than you can offer. He will want more than you can give."

Jack sighed, but didn't lower his pistol. "That may be true, but I won't let you have him. If he wants to leave me, then he will go free, not to be a slave to something like you."

"Are you so sure that I do not merit him? Do you even know who I am?" The man stepped closer into the full circle of the flashlight.

"Well, Daniel says this is the tomb of Imhotep." Jack shrugged as if he didn't care. "He's pretty good at his job, so I'm thinking you're him."

"NO! I am not Imhotep! He was only my architect, my builder. This is my place! I am Pharaoh! I am Djoser, Lord of the Upper and Lower Nile. He was only my servant...I am King!"

"Well, I hate to be the one to break the news to you, but your kingdom went to hell a long time back." The Colonel looked at him. "Our people freed themselves from your kind centuries ago. Your territory is separated into several different self-governing nations." Jack looked at him with a satisfied smile. "Only a few historians even know your name and they've only heard of you as a long dead king. You and yours are nothing but history...long dead things."

Djoser laughed mirthlessly. "That is impossible. You lie!"

Jack shook his head. "Do you know how long you've been here? Almost four thousand years. The human race has grown. You false gods have faded away to nothing but graffiti on the walls of ruins. Give it up."

"This is impossible." Djoser looked at him suspiciously. "What of my kin? What of Ra? Hathor? Apophis?" He demanded.

"Well," Jack smiled wolfishly. "We blew Ra and his spaceship up with a nuke. I froze Hathor into a big Popsicle and Apophis...well, his ship crashed into his home planet." He shook his head deliberately with a look of false concentration. "Hum, and let's see, Seth is dead...our teammate blew him away with a ribbon device, Chronus is dead, Amaunet, Sokar, Nirriti...yep, we've cleaned house since you've been gone."

"You lie! This is impossible! You creatures cannot be..." Djoser's eyes flashed his anger.

"Oh, yeah, Marduk is gone too. I almost forgot him."

"This is heresy. They cannot all be dead."

"Dead, gone, buried, forgotten." Jack shook his head. "We human's don't have time anymore for you guys. You're nothing to us now, nothing but a bad memory, not worth the time of day."

Under his feet, Daniel moaned and moved. Jack kept his gun pointed towards the Goa'uld as he knelt down beside the younger man. "Daniel, ya with me, buddy?"

"Jack?" The other man looked up groggily.

"Yeah, I'm here. How ya doing?"

"Jack? What happened?"

"I woke up. You were gone again. I came looking for you." He released his partner but kept a hand on his shoulder to steady him as the younger man got to his feet.

"Jack, the sarcophagus...it was open."

"Yeah, I know. Daniel, meet Dozer."

"Not Imhotep?" He asked in a dazed voice.

"Nope, the big man himself...the Pharaoh."

"I would speak to you, human.' The Goa'uld said to Daniel as he took a step towards the two men. "I would offer you a place by my side."

Jack waggled his pistol at the alien. "Not so close, there." He warned.

Daniel frowned at the creature in bewilderment. "Why would I want a place with you?"

"I can give you anything you want...human. I can give you youth, wealth, power... whatever you desire." The Goa'uld's voice held a seductive note as he spoke.

"At what price?" Daniel shook his head, looking at the Pharaoh. " My soul, my freedom, my life...you have nothing that I want. Your kind has taken too much from me already. I won't let you have anything else." He leaned against Jack. "I want nothing from you!"

"Ah, but your lover grows old and infirm...." Djoser started towards them, "I can grant him youth and potency to match yours. Then, I can also give it to you when the time is right."

"In what? The sarcophagus?" The younger man shook his head. "No thanks. I've already sampled that Pandora's box. It's not worth the price it takes from you."

"But what do you want? Knowledge? Fame? Riches?"

Daniel only shook his head in response. "Knowledge I can find for myself. Fame, well, I've had that and it carries its own price...and I have all the wealth that I need."

"I can give you power!" The Goa'uld insisted.

"I've seen what undisciplined power can do. I don't need it." Daniel looked from Jack to Djoser. "I have all I want, right here."

"I can give you freedom from his service."

Daniel smiled up at his lover. "In that case, freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose. Believe me, you have nothing that interests me."

"Then why did you come when I called to you?" The creature insisted. "There is always something that your kind wants."

"I only wanted to learn about you." Daniel answered him. "I'd hoped you were something better, but I want nothing that you have to offer." He replied firmly.

The Pharaoh looked at Jack. "And you?"

"Nope, I got it all." Jack looked at the old Pharaoh. "We only came here to escape the storm. Unless you can give me a magic word to make your kind disappear from the universe."

"We will never do that, human. Of that, you may be sure." Djoser looked at them. "The air grows stale here in my resting-place. For all your vaunted wealth of things and your self-confidence in your own intelligence, soon, you will die the final death. You will become so much desiccated corruption, unless you bend to my will."

Djoser began to advance on them again. Jack took a step in front of Daniel and leveled the pistol at the Goa'uld. "Stop right where you are. This is a weapon and it can easily kill your host and your inner snake."

"Jack," Daniel protested softly. "Jack, you don't have to kill him. We can still learn from him!"

"Shit, Danny. He's a Gould; just another pumped up snakehead. He can't teach us squat and it sure isn't safe to let him loose."

"I can teach you much, young one." The Pharaoh smiled seductively at Daniel, ignoring Jack. "And I can give you much...much teaching and much pleasure. You only need choose to enter my service. Come, be with me, nefer."

Daniel realized what the old Goa'uld wanted from him and shook his head. "No! You have nothing I want. There is nothing you can offer to tempt me."

"Yeah, what's with you snakeheads anyway? Always making promises you can't keep."

The Pharaoh Goa'uld looked directly at Jack. "You do not even know what your possess. You are not worthy of one such as him."

O'Neill looked at the alien. "You're very wrong there. I know. He is my conscience. I can't do without him. You don't deserve him, and he doesn't want you." He jerked the gun at him again. "The only reason you're still alive now is because of him."

"You fool! I called him. I seduced him from your side. He came to me willingly." Djoser nodded at Daniel. "I've tasted him once, I claim him now!"

"Maybe he answered you; but he came out of curiosity." Jack could feel Daniel brace beside him. "He doesn't want what you have to offer."

The Pharaoh's smile had changed into a grimace. "Then I will take him from you!" Djoser extended his hand towards the two men. There was a ribbon device on his palm and the ruby beam lashed out at Daniel, catching him on the forehead.

O'Neill fired the handgun several times hitting the Pharaoh's body. Djoser jerked as the bullets hit him but he didn't release the younger man from his weapon's power. Jack cursed, and dropped the ineffective weapon then lunged at the alien, grasping him by the arm, trying to break his grip on Daniel. They grappled for several minutes, Jack wrestling with the alien, finally breaking the other's concentration on the device and his hold on the younger man. His force drove the two of them back against the side of the metal sarcophagus. The ancient body hit the hard surface first with bone breaking force. Then, it lay there, shattered.

Jack stood breathing heavily for a moment, as he checked his enemy for signs of life. He found none. "I think he's dead." He gasped as he stumbled over to crouch where Daniel had collapsed when the ribbon device had ceased its assault. The younger man had managed to retrieve the gun from the dirt floor from where it had fallen close by. He held it loosely in his nerveless hands.

Then, suddenly, there was a popping crunching noise that sounded like old kindling snapping. As the two men turned and watched in horror, the corpse's jaw fell open and the snake form of the Goa'uld crawled out of the macabre gaping mouth.

They watched horror-struck as the creature flared its gills and coiled on the dead chest of its old host. Abruptly it struck out like a cobra and sprang towards the two men. Jack turned and pushed Daniel back out of harms way. The younger man reached for him to pull him along just in time to see the alien snake impact on the back of Jack's shoulders.

Jack reared back, clawing at the back of his clothes, his face reflecting an expression of inexpressible fear and horror. He shrieked his terror and disgust as he tried ineffectively to beat it off. He could feel the tines of the snake's frills as it used them to get a purchase on his clothes. In his panic he collided with Daniel, who was attempting to get to Jack's back also. His partner was yelling in panic as he fought his own battle to get rid of the thing trying to possess him. "Get it off! Get it off get it off getitoffgetitoff!"

Daniel was trying to reach around the other man's flailing arms with his free hand. He took several blows to his face and neck as he wrestled with Jack's panic. Finally, he reached his prey and grabbed the monster as it tried to burrow into the soft delicate skin at the nape of Jack's neck. The creature was warm and slimy and horrible to his touch. It squirmed and hissed as he grabbed the writhing serpentine form. He pulled it off with a jerk and flung it as far away as he could manage from his awkward angle. The violent motion from the struggle threw the two men off balance and they collapsed on the floor in a tangle of arms and legs.

The Goa'uld managed to right itself and began to scuttle across the loose sand of the floor like a true snake. Jack, still caught up in his horror, was trying to regain his feet while pulling Daniel along with him.

Daniel struggled against Jack's panic. He could see the creature's progress towards them. He turned the pistol he was holding on it, firing the weapon at the creature until it was empty. As Daniel heard the Goa'uld's death screams, he was also aware of the rumble of collapsing masonry. Large pieces of the wall began to fall around them. The last thing he remembered was the sensation of being buried alive in the dark.

 

Chapter 5: The Worth

The combined search and rescue team had found Daniel's flashlight and Jack's P-90 buried in the sand next to the mastaba's mud brick wall. This encouraged them to dig deeper in the area and they finally located the softer sand of Daniel's collapsed entrance pit. With a little more labor, they found the opening.

As they removed the blockage of fine sand, a cascade descended into the structure's main room. By his size alone, Ferretti was the first to slip down into the chamber. He turned his light on and flashed it around the blackness.

"Ferretti, are you okay? What do you see?" Carter called down after him.

"Yeah, Major, I'm good here." He replied to his female counterpart's concerned voice. "Everything's ten-four except the air is really stale in here."

"Copy direct, Ferretti. We'll continue to enlarge the opening to get more ventilation."

"That's good." He continued to play the beam around the immediate area.

"Any sign of the Colonel or Daniel?"

The narrow beam of Ferretti's light caught a pile of equipment in its glow. "Affirmative, I can see where they've been digging and some of their gear. Here's an SGC issue pack, a pair of desert boots and some empty water bottles. Oh and here's a DCU shirt." Lou bent to pick up the article of clothing. He saw the candy bar wrapper flutter out of an open pocket. "And a Fifth Avenue wrapper, so I'm sure it was them all right." he called back. "But they're not here in the outer chamber."

"I will accompany you, Ferretti." Teal'c rumbled down. "Wait one moment."

"It's okay with me, big guy, but like I said the air is pretty stale." Lou responded, as he waited for the warrior to join him. "Major, I'd recommend you get those oxygen bottles primed and ready to go. They didn't have a lot to breathe down here.

"Good copy, we'll get them ready." Carter's voice returned. "Any sign of them yet?"

"Nope, we're gonna have to go hunting." He continued to examine the area. "I see some footprints leading off down a corridor. We can follow them and see if we can locate the Colonel and Daniel."

Teal'c's large bulk came sliding in through the narrow opening followed by a large amount of fine sand. Lou went back over to lend the Jaffa a hand dusting him off. "You might want to send down some more water too."

"Good idea." Several more containers of cool water came sliding in after them. Then Carter spoke again. "We'll keep working here to shore up the walls for the extraction. You guys be careful."

"Yes, Majorcarter."

"Just find them, okay?"

"Indeed we shall do so."

Using Ferretti's light, Teal'c keeping his in reserve for emergencies, the two men followed the trail of footprints, some booted and one bare, down a narrow corridor. "I can't believe that the Colonel agreed to leave the entrance, Teal'c. It doesn't make any sense."

Teal'c pulled out his own flashlight and pointed at the walls. "But Danieljackson would have been eager to study these inscriptions and they had no where else to go. Perhaps he convinced O'Neill to allow him the activity."

"If they hadn't been trapped, I would agree with you, but I can't see the Colonel leaving the area most likely to be searched. It's not something he'd willingly do."

"But, some of these markings are in Goa'uld. Perhaps that would interest O'Neill in a translation."

Lou shrugged. "Maybe, but why would Daniel take his boots off?"

"That I cannot say, though he has been known to do so occasionally. But the laces were tied together then cut." Teal'c nodded in agreement. "I don't understand the reasoning behind such a thing."

"And add to that, O'Neill was the one following behind." Lou commented. "He wouldn't willingly let Daniel lead either. It's almost as if he was tracking him...but why would Daniel run from the Colonel?"

"Perhaps he was not fleeing O'Neill, but going towards something else."

Lou nodded. "But what?"

As they continued down the corridor, they could tell that Daniel had been moving slowly, and Jack had followed much more quickly. It was indeed a puzzle.

Finally, after much twisting and turning they arrived in the main chamber. There they found some of the answers to their questions and more questions to ask. This chamber was in a shambles; a large portion of the wall had collapsed on what was apparently a Goa'uld sarcophagus. A unidentified body was also almost completely burried by the wreckage. Their two friends were lying crumpled and unconscious on the floor partially buried by the masonry. Teal'c hurried to the side of his teammates where he started throwing the large pieces of brick and mortar off of them.

Jack was sprawled face down, halfway on top of his younger companion. His clothes were in disarray; his tee shirt ripped exposing his upper back. There was blood from several deep lacerations at the top of his spine. The back of his head was also bloody, possibly from a rock off the collapsed wall. Teal'c pulled off his own shirt and laid it on the ground. Then he carefully rolled the Colonel off the younger man's body, using the garment to protect the open wound from any further contamination.

Ferretti had knelt beside the younger man. Daniel was lying on his back, having been partially protected by O'Neil's unconscious body. There was blood spattered on his hands and face, evidently from his struggle with the Colonel. He was still holding a service pistol in one hand with a death grip.

Ferretti keyed his mike and called to the rest of their group. "Major Carter. We found them. Get your butts down here and call for a Medical team ASAP. Bring the shovels."

After removing the gun from Daniel's hand and checking it for ammunition, Lou did a quick physical check on him. The other man was also unconscious and he showed a red mark from a ribbon device on his forehead. As Lou checked for a heartbeat, Daniel groaned softly and his eyes began to flicker open. "Doctor Jackson, Daniel, can you hear me?"

Daniel looked up at him, trying to make out his identity in the gloom of the flashlight's beam. "Lou?"

"Yeah, Daniel, it's me. How do you feel?"

"Jack!" Suddenly Daniel started to struggle to sit up. Lou caught him and restrained the younger man. "Where's Jack?"

"Easy, now, the Colonel is right here beside you. What went on here?"

"How is he?" Daniel turned in the indicated direction, paying no attention to Ferretti's soothing tone. "Jack? Can you hear me?"

"He's unconscious, Danieljackson." Teal'c replied from where he was kneeling by his friend's side. "What has caused this?"

"We were fighting..."

"You and the Colonel were fighting?" Ferretti frowned.

"No, Jack and Djoser were fighting. Jack killed the host. Then, the Goa'uld came out and tried to possess him!"

"So you fought Jack?" Lou asked worriedly, glancing at the unconscious O'Neill.

"No, no, you don't understand." Daniel rolled over to see where O'Neill was lying unconscious. Then he looked around in a panic. "Where is it? Oh, God! Where is it? I know it didn't get Jack..."

After listening to Daniel, Teal's looked around shining his flashlight against the sarcophagus. There, propped against the sarcophagus, lay the remains of a body. It appeared to be nothing more than a rotting corpse. Teal'c headed for it as Ferretti started for the two SG1 men.

Teal'c, now understanding his friend's concern, immediately stood and began searching the rubble with his flashlight.

Ferretti crouched next to his two friends. "You don't think it got into him, do you Daniel?" He asked worriedly.

"No! I mean, I don't think so. When the host died...the Goa'uld left the body and tried to attack us. Jack was trying to get us away, but I had the gun and it jumped on Jack's back. I pulled it off and shot it." The wild blue eyes focused on Ferretti. "Its body has to be here! I know I hit it! It has to be dead!"

Lou shook his head, not wanting to believe what the other man was telling him but unable to lie to him. "Daniel, the Colonel has a wound on the back of his neck."

"But I shot it! I know I did! Then the ceiling fell in on us. It's got to be dead!" He pulled himself over to the unconscious form of his partner and looked helplessly at O'Neill. "Oh, God, please! It's got to be dead."

Ferretti heard the sounds of the rest of the team as it came in to the chamber from the corridor.

Samantha Carter came running as soon as she saw Daniel and the Colonel were injured. "What's wrong?" She demanded as she pulled out the two small oxygen tanks from her backpack. "What's happened?"

"The Colonel may have been snaked. Daniel doesn't remember." Ferretti answered her grimly.

Carter knelt down next to her commander and laid her hand on the unconscious man's arm. "I don't sense the presence of a Goa'uld." She looked up at her teammate's pale, worried face and reached to take his hand in hers. "Daniel, I don't sense anything in him."

Then Teal'c called out from the darkness several feet away. His flashlight was focused on something lying on the ground. "Majorcarter! Majorferretti! Here! I have found it!"

"You found the snake?" Ferretti called out, then got up to go look at the small serpentine corpse.

"Indeed, it is dead." The Jaffa pulled his combat knife out of its sheath and probed the long slender body with the point. There was no response from it. "The Goa'uld sustained several bullet wounds. Danieljackson did indeed shoot it..." then he indicated some deep pockmarks on the wall and ceiling. "and it appears that he also shot the wall...several times."

"Which is why it collapsed on them. The pistol's clip was empty...all fifteen shots." Ferretti nodded then looked at Carter. "Med team?"

Carter was busily adjusting a mask from a small oxygen tank she had brought in with the first aide pack to fit over O'Neill's face. "They're on their way now with an ETA of about an hour." Sam reached over and felt for a pulse on the Colonel. It beat steadily under her fingertips. She then glanced at Daniel as he lay watching her and nodded. "I think he's all right, Daniel. He's got a lump and a gash on the back of his head." Once she got the unconscious man taken care of she moved to Daniel and adjusted another mask on him.

Her younger teammate shook his head and spoke, his voice muffled through the clear plastic. "The cuts on his back...the back of his neck...Djoser cut him, trying to get into him."

She looked at him in amazement. "It was that close?"

He nodded, his head rubbing against his arm that he was laying on. "It was that close." He sighed and murmured. "I've never seen Jack that scared, or been so scared myself."

Sam nodded, and reached over to her younger teammate, stroking his arm comfortingly. He looked up at her and sighed. Then he closed his eyes and let his exhaustion take him.

 

Fifty minutes later, the Medivac team arrived and began to get the men ready to be transported. The litters would have to be hand carried back to the due to the softness of the footing. Daniel acquiesced quietly, only insisting on crawling onto the stretcher by himself. Carter knew that was a testament to his fatigue that he didn't protest more.

O'Neill remained unconscious and was strapped down for transport to the gate. However, as they reached the tombs entrance, the Colonel was jerked back into partial awareness by the rough motion and started fighting the restraints. "GET IT OFF OF ME!! GET IT OFF!"

Teal'c moved to his struggling commander's side and placed both huge hands on his chest to restrain him. "O'Neill, it is I Teal'c. The Goa'uld is dead. He is gone from you." He spoke calmly, soothing his comrade.

"Teal'c?" The wild brown eyes fastened on his.

"Yes, O'Neill, it is I. Be calm my friend. The false god is dead. Danieljackson shot it. There is nothing more to fear."

Jack lay back on the canvas stretcher and searched his friend's face, looking for the truth there. "It's dead?"

"Indeed." The big man patted him gently on his tee shirt before totally breaking contact with him. "It is truly dead."

Jack nodded, accepting his words. "Where's Daniel?"

"He is here...but sleeping." Teal'c indicated over his shoulder with a movement of his head. "He is exhausted and he bears the mark of a ribbon device."

"Yeah, he got zapped again." Jack looked over worriedly at the younger man. "He couldn't sleep. The Gould kept calling him away from me. Son of a bitch wanted to take him away from me." He looked up at the Jaffa. "I almost lost him again...I almost lost myself...again."

"But you did not." Teal'c spoke soothingly to him. "Once again you have persevered, O'Neill, my brother."

"Yeah, but just barely." Jack closed his eyes in exhaustion. "Thanks, T."

Teal'c watched the weary man as he rested. "Sleep well, I will keep guard on you and Danieljackson."

 

Janet was changing the bandage on the back of Jack's neck. The laceration had been only superficial, not very deep. She was more concerned about the head injury, pronouncing it a concussion. Stitches, of course, had followed.

O'Neill couldn't quite figure out how a bump on the head was more important than being almost snaked...again. "Com'on, Doc. You're gonna let me go home today, right?"

She finished taping the gauze in place and allowed him to lift his head and to meet her eyes. "And why should I do that?" She smiled teasingly at him. "My nurses are beginning to think you just plain don't want to be around us."

"Bingo! That's the story." He smiled and nodded affably, only showing a twinge of discomfort when the stitches pulled at the movement. "I know that they don't want to be around me when I'm bored. I might hurt someone's feelings."

"Actually, it's not you...it's Daniel. They never want to see him leave."

He looked over at Daniel who had been sitting on his bed watching his partner and their Doctor interact. The red mark on his forehead was almost gone. "What? Why me?"

"See, there he goes again." Jack grumbled. "Acting all innocent. Knowing that he's just irresistible to women and Goulds."

Daniel frowned. "I don't know about the women but I do seem to have an uncanny knack for having people I care about turned into hosts." He looked up at O'Neill. "Sorry Jack."

"Ah, well, I suppose you're worth the risk." Jack nodded at him. "After all I beat the third times the charm scenario."

"The what?" Doctor Fraiser looked at him in confusion.

"Well, Hathor snaked me, Kanan snaked me and now Dozer tried to snake me." He smiled at Daniel. "See, they had their three chances. No more."

Janet looked at him quizzically. "So, it's three times?"

"As far as I'm concerned it is." he looked at her. "Can I leave now? There's a game on tonight that I want to catch."

"Do you have a driver?" Fraiser asked teasingly as she began to put her supplies back in the glass cabinet against the wall.

"Daniel's checked out on Gould Mother Ships. I guess he can handle my truck." Jack commented. "That is if you release him from the clinic too."

"Oh, I suppose so, since you insist." She turned back to them with an answering smile. "Just both of you be careful, take your meds and if you start to feel dizzy or nauseous, give me a call."

Jack agreed eagerly. "Sure thing Doc."

Daniel smiled winningly at Fraiser. She only shook her head. "Get out of here before I think better of this. You're both on down time for seventy-two hours, then I want you back here again for a follow-up."

After Fraiser had left, Daniel slid off the gurney that he had been sitting on and came over to his lover's side. He steadied Jack as he got to his feet. "How do you feel?" He asked as he put his hand on Jack's arm for support.

"I have a headache, I'm dizzy and I feel nauseous. I do have a concussion and stitches in my head, ya know."

"But you told Janet..."

"She didn't ask if I had the symptoms now, she just said to call her if I get them. Well, too late, I already have them."

"Jack!"

"Daniel!"

"What?"

"Jack, I'm sorry about the tomb. I shouldn't...."

"No, you're right...you shouldn't." Jack reached over with his free hand and took Daniel's unoccupied one in it. "And you shouldn't have gotten ribbon zapped again, but that's what makes you you. Besides, I think you saved my life...again."

"No, I dropped the ceiling on your head."

"But after you killed the snake...so I forgive you this time."

Daniel only looked at him silently. Then he asked, "Jack, what is it about me? Why does everyone want to take me?"

Jack smiled at his lover gently. "Why Daniel, it's cause you're worth having." He patted the younger man on his arm. "Now, Let's go home."

The Ending


End file.
